Golf tee



Dec. 29 1931. w, V, MccARRIER 7 1,839,040

GOLF TEE Filed May 22, 1931 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 29, 1931 UNlTE-D STATES PATENT orrics I wmuur moron-momma, orwEs'r summer, rmmsnvmra eonr ran Application fled ma as, 1931'. Serial at. 589,393. i

p driving. 7

Another object of this invention is the pro- .vision of a supporting post so constructed as to facilitate the insertion thereof .into the ground and which will, due to its construction, be prevented from turning relative to the ground during the use of the device.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a ball supporting arm and means for mounting it to the post "which will permit the arm to be positioned horizontally relative to the post and the surface of the ground for supporting a ball in proper position relative to the ground for driving and when struck by a club, the supporting arm may move in the are 'of a circle and in a horizontal plane so as not to interfere with or afl'ect the ball leaving the tee, thereby aidin in permitting the ball to maintain a true flig t in the direction driven and also permitting the post to remain in its proper position and undisturbed. A further object of this invention is the provision of means for returning the su porting arm to its initial position after t e ball is driven therefrom, thus positioning the arm ready to receiv -another ball to be driven by another play'r, permitting the same tee to be used by different players when,

said players are playing together during a ame.

g A further object of this invention is the provision of means for holding the arm in a true right angular position relative to the 0st so as to assure proper positioning of the all relative to the ground and which will permit the arm 'to be swunglinto substantial parallelism with the post w en not employingthe device and which permits the device to be conveniently placed within the pocket of a player or within the pocket of a golf bag or in any ve stated character which other place suitable to the wishes or conyen:

ience of the player.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a golf tee of the above stated character which will be practically indestruct- .66

ible and capable of efficient use over a long period of time and which will be simple, durable and efiicient and which may be manufactured and sold at a com aratively low cost.

With these and other 0 jects in view, this inventionconsists in certain novel features of construction, gombination and arrangement of arts to be hereinafter morefully descri d and claimed. For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the follow- 'ng description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure -1 is a top plan view illustrating a golf tee constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the movement of the. ball supporting arm when the ball is driven therefrom. a

Figure 2 is a side elevation illustrating the device in a folded position.

Figure 3 is a side elevation illustrating the device supporting a ball. 7

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the connection between the sup orting arm and the post.

igure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the means for holding the ball supporting arm in ahorizontal position. relative to the post and capable of permitting saidarm to be folded into a substantial parallelism with the post as shown in Figure 2.

. Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation illustratin the arm ina horizontal position. and limite in its movement in one direction by a stop.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the taper of the post to facilitate the insertion thereof into the ground and adapted to prevent accidental turning of the post while positioned in the ground. Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a supporting posthavj ing formed integral with its u per end a head 2 provided with a concave ace 3 to facilitate a personin obtaining a firm grip on on the post an the head for the purpose of inserting the post in the ground. Should the ground be extremely hard, a golf ball may be positioned in the concave face 3 and by gripping the under faces of the head 2 with the fingers and with the ball engaging the palm of the hand, the insertion of the post in the ground will be greatly facilitated. The other end of the post 1 is sharpened as shown at 4 and is also provided with oppositely disposed flattened faces 5 that extend through the sharpened end 4 for the purpose of facilitatin insertion of the post in the ground and to 0 viate the danger of the post turning in the ground after being once positioned therein.

A sleeve 6 is journalled on the post 1 and is limited in an upward direction on said post by an annular shoulder 7 formed by the dif-.

ferences in diameter between the head and the post. A ferrule 8 is mounted on the post 1 and cooperates with a shoulder 7 in rotatably supporting the sleeve 6. The ferrule 8 is adj ustably secured to the post by a set screw 9 and has formed therein a chamber 10 opening outwardlyithrough one end of the ferrule for receiving one end of the sleeve 6 which is reduced to extend into the ferrule and rovides an annular shoulder 11 adapted to ar on the upper'end of the ferrule. A coiled spring 12 surrounds the post 1 within the @chamber 10 and has ore end secured to the sleeve 6 as shown at 13 while the opposite end is secured to the ferrule. Astop 14 is carried by the ferrule 8 and engaged by an ear '15 formed integral with the sleeve 6 for the purpose of limitin the rotation of the sleeve 6 the action of the spring 12 is to normally position the ear 15 against the stop 14.

The ear 15 includes a semi-circular shaped portion 16 having a flattened or straight face 17 at its lower edge and in which is formed a notch 18. A notch 19 is formed in the curved edge of the semi-circular portion 16 and spaced a proper distance from the notch 18 for the purpose of maintaining a ball supporting arm 20 in a position disposed at right angles to the post 1. The semi-circular portion 16 of the ear 15 is apertured to receive a pivot bolt 21 extending through an ear 22 similar in construction to the ear 15 formed integral with the ball supporting arm 20.

The ear 22 has overlapping relation with the ear 15 and is provided with a lug 23 engaging the curved edge of the semi-circular portion 16 of the ear 15. The car 22 is provided with a slot 24 to receive the pivot pin 21 and the latter is provided with a suitable fastener25 thereon after passing through the ears for retaining them in assembled position as shown in Figure 5. The slot 24 opens outwardly through the inner face of the ear 22 to form a chamber in which is positioned a coiled spring 26 bearing against the under wall of the slot and the pivot pin 22 for the purpose of urging the lug 23 into the notch 19. A movement of the arm away from the post 1 will cause the lug 23 to move out of the notch 19 and then swinging the arm toward the post'to a position as shown in Figure 2, the lug will engage in the notch 18 with a very slight pressure only sufficient to maintain the arm in the position as shown in Figure 2 so that when desiring to use the device, the arm may be swung at right angles to the post and locked in the stated position by the lug 23 engaging in the notch 19 with considerable force due to the action of the spring 26 thereby efi'ectively locking the arm ina horizontal osition or at rightangles to the post. By having the flattened edge 17 to the ear 15 will relieve the action of the spring 26 when said arm is moved into substantial parallelism with the post so that the arm can be again swung into horizontal position without first moving it in an endwise direction in order to free the lug 23 from the notch 18. The free end of the arm 20 has formed thereon an annular ball supporting element 27 having one face concaved to form a seat for the ball as shown in Figure 1.

In operation or when desiring to employ the device for supporting a golf ball, the arm 20 is swung into a position at rightangles to the post and locked in the stated position by the lug 23 fitting in the notch 19. The player then inserts the post into the ground to the desired depth by placing the thumb on the head 2 with the post disposed between the index and middle fingers. With the post supported vertically in the ground, and the arm 20 disposed in parallelism with the surface of the ground and in spaced relation thereto so that'when the ball is positioned on the seat at the end of the arm it will be supported a proper distance from the ground for driving. It is to be understood that the post is inserted in the ground so that the horizontal position of the arm will be at right angles to the direction in which the ball is to be driven and when the ball is struck by the club, there is a possibility that the'club may also strike the ball seat on the arm and'due to this force, the arm will swing in the arc of a circle to prevent disturbing the post in the ground and also to offer practically no resistance to the ball when leaving the seat thereby permitting the ball to travel in a true course or in the directiondriven without afl'ecting or influencing the ball in any way. ,After the ball leaves the seat on the arm and said arm reaches the limit of its movement due to the club striking the seat and the ball leaving said seat, said arm is automatically returned to its initial position by the influence of the spring 12, ready to receive another ball, thus it will be seen that several together may use the same tee without the necessity of adjusting or replacing the tee persons playing a game I means for causing the lug to ride against 6 in the ground after each time a ball is driven therefrom. Any tendency forthe post 1 to turn in the ground is retarded by the flattened faces 5 thereby assuring the post remaining in its pro er position in the ground during the use or t e driving of the ball from the ball supporting arm. The principle involved in this tee may also be applied to a" fixed or stationary tee, that is, a tee which remains in the ground for driving over.

grounds and the like.

By having the ferrule 8 adjustably secured to the post provides means whereby the frictional engagement of the sleeve 6 relative to the shoulders 7 andll may be varied and permits wear between-said shouldersand the ends of the sleeve to be compensated for and he varied.

The device is constructed from any suitable material and preferably from a good grade of metal so that the device is capable of withstanding severe wear and permits the use of the device over a long period of time.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes-in construc tion, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim is:

' 4. A golf tee comprising a post to be inserted in the groun a ferrule secured to the post, a'sleeve ournalled on the i and bearingagainst the head and ferru e, a ball su porting arm carried b said sleeve and a apted to support also permits the tension of the spring 12 to 1. A golf tee comprising a post adapted v to be inserted in the ground to a desired depth, means associated with the post for supporting the balllaterally' of the post and in spaced relation to the ground and capable of moving in the arc of a circle when the ball is driven therefrom, and means for returning said first means to its initial position after its movement, before described.

2. A golf tee comprising a post to be in-- sertedin the ground,- a sleeve journalled on the post, an ear on said sleeve, asecond ear pivotally and slidably connected to the first ear, a ball supporting arm carried by the sec ond named ear, said first named ear having spaced notches, a lug on the arm to enga e in either of said notches for supporting the arm at right angles to the post orin substantial parallelism with said post, and tension a head on said post,

the edge of the first named ear and to engage a in said notches when aligned therewith.

3. A golf tee com rismga post to beinserted in the groun a head on said post,.

a ferrule adjustably secured to the'post, a

' sleeve journalled on the post between the head and ferrule and limited in an endwise movement on said post by the head and ferrule, a ballsupporting arm pivotally secured to the sleeve, and-means for holding the am either in a horizontal position relative to the post or in substantial parallelism with the post. I 

